Component assembly and method for producing the same

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a component assembly and a method for producing the same. The component assembly comprises at least one component arranged on a support substrate, for example a printed circuit board. An insulator enclosing the component and comprising two isolating superimposed layers is also arranged on the support substrate. A scaling mass covering the component is arranged inside said insulator. The two or more isolating layers are made from the same isolating material and connected at the contact area.

[0001] The present invention relates to a component assembly according to the definition of the species in claim 1, as well as to a method for producing a component assembly according to the definition of the species in claim 12.

[0002] Various ways are known to place electronic and/or optoelectronic components on carrier substrates, such as circuit boards. It is customary, for instance, for unhoused components to be initially placed on the circuit board at the designated location and subsequently electrically contacted, for example by wire bonding. An injection needle or a so-called dispenser is subsequently used to position an enclosed dam on the circuit board to surround the component. Finally, in a further process step, a suitable encapsulating material is introduced into the well-shaped inner region of the dam, so that the component and any existing bonding wires, etc., are covered by the encapsulated material and protected from environmental influences. In connection with component assemblies of this kind, reference is made, for example, to the German DE 195 30 878 A1 or, however, to the JP 61-101054. From both documents can be inferred, in addition, that the dam in question has two dam layers.

[0003] A number of problems arise in the context of high component densities, as well as with regard to the use of electronic components. Thus, in component assemblies of this kind, a smallest possible base area must be ensured for the dam on the particular carrier substrate, in order not to needlessly cover essential space on the carrier substrate. The known two-part dam structure discussed in German DE 195 30 878 A1 requires, for example, a relatively large base area for the dam on the carrier substrate, and therefore, does not fulfill this requirement.

[0004] In addition, the use of optoelectronic components requires that the encapsulating material placed over this component have, to the extent possible, no undesired optical effect for the beam of rays passing through. This is also not ensured in the case of German DE 195 30 878 A1, since the beam of rays passing through is deflected at the curved boundary surface between the encapsulating material and the ambient air due to the resulting lens effect.

[0005] It is also to be noted in connection with the known assembly from the JP 61-101054 that the two dam layers having different melting points require considerable outlay for process control due to the different processing temperatures. Expenses are also entailed in terms of process technology, due to the necessity to process a plurality of dam materials in the manufacturing of such an assembly.

[0006] The object of the present invention is, therefore, to devise a component assembly, as well as a method for its manufacture which satisfy the specific requirements. In particular, besides a greatest possible component density and adequate mechanical stability, the aim is to also ensure the usability of optoelectronic components. Also desirable is a simplest possible manufacturing of a component assembly of this kind.

[0007] This objective is achieved by a component assembly having the features set forth in the characterizing part of claim 1.

[0008] Advantageous specific embodiments of the component assembly according to the present invention are derived from the measures delineated in the claims which are dependent upon claim 1.

[0009] In addition, the above-specified objective is achieved by a method having the features set forth in the characterizing part of claim 12.

[0010] Advantageous specific embodiments of the method according to the present invention are derived from the measures indicated in the claims which are dependent upon claim 12.

[0011] The measures in accordance with the present invention ensure that a stable bond forms in the contact region between adjacent dam layers; when a suitable dam material is used, there is a stable cross-linking of the two adjacent dam layers in this region. The stable bond in this region results, on the one hand, in a mechanically more resistant overall assembly. On the other hand, it is thereby possible to form high dams having a comparatively small dam surface area, i.e., high component densities are also able to be ultimately realized in accordance with the present invention. Due to the then possible high dam structure, the inner region of the dam may, in turn, be filled with a suitable encapsulating material in such a way that this material has a virtually ideal, plane surface area. No undesired, optically deflecting action results then at the boundary surface with the ambient air for the beam of rays passing through. As already discussed above, this is an essential requirement when optoelectronic components are to be used in assemblies of this kind.

[0012] The use of the identical dam material in all dam layers also signifies that all dam layers have the same thermal expansion coefficient. Therefore, no thermally induced stresses occur between the various dam layers in the dam.

[0013] Also, from a standpoint of production engineering, a number of advantages are derived from the measures according to the present invention. Thus, in contrast to the above-mentioned JP 61-101054, the need is eliminated to keep different materials available for the minimum of two dam layers, since the at least two dam layers are made of the same material. In addition, in the various process steps in which the various dam layers are applied, there is no longer a need to have different temperatures due to different melting points or processing temperatures.

[0014] Finally, to be mentioned is that, due to the use according to the present invention of the same material in the dam layers, a stable bond of the same is ensured. Thus, for instance, when using suitable material, a chemical cross-linking results in the contact region upon final curing. The result is a high mechanical load-bearing capacity of the dam.

[0015] Further advantages of the present invention and details pertaining thereto are derived from the following description of the attached drawing, whose figures show:

[0016]FIG. 1 a lateral sectional view of one possible specific embodiment of the component assembly according to the present invention;

[0017]FIG. 2 a plan view of the component assembly from FIG. 1;

[0018]FIG. 3 an enlarged view of the dam from FIG. 1;

[0019]FIGS. 4a-4 d in each case, various process steps of one possible specific embodiment of the method according to the present invention.

[0020] In schematized form, FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of one specific embodiment of the component assembly according to the present invention. For example, the depicted view may be a detail of a carrier substrate 10 designed as a circuit board, upon which other component assemblies of this kind are also provided.

[0021] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, carrier substrate 10 is designed as a circuit board and functions as a carrier element for the component assembly. As a suitable material for carrier substrate 10, conventional circuit-board material is provided, such as FR4 or FR5. Alternatively hereto, a differently designed carrier substrate 10 could also be used, such as suitable ceramic, e.g., Al₂O₃. Not discernible in the representation of FIG. 1 are the electrical conductor tracks running in carrier substrate 10. They are used for the contacting of the unhoused electronic component 20, as well as of the other components on circuit board 10. The present example provides for a contacting of component 20 using bonding wires 21 a, 21 b. Bonding wires 21 a, 21 b electroconductively connect component 20 to the conductor tracks in carrier substrate 10. At this point, an alternative and/or additional electrical contacting of component 20 would also be fundamentally conceivable, such as a so-called narrow-ribbon contacting, or also the use of soldered connectors.

[0022] In this specific embodiment, component 20 is designed as an optoelectronic component or as a so-called OPTO-ASIC. In addition to optoelectronic components, such as photodiodes, it includes other electronic components for signal processing. Of course, the present invention may also be implemented in conjunction with conventional electronic components, such as ASICs, etc.

[0023] The particular component 20 is placed on carrier substrate 10, which may be done by bonding to carrier substrate 10; soldering or alloying would also be alternatively possible. The present invention is especially suited in this case for assembling unhoused electronic and/or optoelectronic components on circuit boards, i.e., components which do not have their own housing and, accordingly, offer a particularly space-saving design.

[0024] Furthermore, the component assembly according to the present invention includes a dam 30, which is likewise placed on carrier substrate 10 and surrounds or encircles the particular component 20. From the plan view of the component assembly shown in FIG. 2, one can perceive that, in this example, dam 30 surrounds component 20 quadratically. Of course, within the scope of the present invention, alternative geometries are also possible with respect to the shape of surrounding dam 30, e.g., rectangular, polygonal, or round dam profiles, etc.

[0025] A first essential function of dam 30, with respect to the component assembly according to the present invention, is to form the boundary of the surface required for embedding component 20 using an encapsulating compound 40 on carrier substrate 10. To this end, once dam 30 is created, encapsulating compound 40 is introduced into the well-shaped inner region of surrounding dam 30. The purpose of embedding using encapsulating compound 40 is to protect component 20 from mechanical influences. In this connection, because of optoelectronic component 20, a transparent and low-viscosity encapsulating compound 40, such as unfilled epoxy resin, is used in the described variant. In the inner region of dam 30, encapsulating compound 40 covers component 20, including bonding wires 21 a, 21 b, so that, once encapsulating compound 40 is cured, these elements are reliably protected. To fulfill this purpose, encapsulating compound 40 must completely cover the elements to be protected, i.e., in this example, also bonding wires 21 a, 21 b in particular, for which, in turn, a specific level of encapsulating compound 40 to be applied, is required. Since this compound, when applied in the conventional manner using an injection needle, is not yet cured and flows out, dam 30 ultimately is used to adjust the necessary level of encapsulating compound 40, without taking up too much surface area on carrier substrate 20.

[0026] Alternatively to the illustrated variant, it is also possible for bonding wires 21 a, 21 b not to be fully covered with encapsulating compound 40, rather, for the most part, to be merely surrounded by the same.

[0027] When no optoelectronic components are provided in the component assembly according to the present invention, a non-transparent encapsulating compound 40 may also be selected of course; possible is, for example, the use of a black encapsulating compound 40, which then protects the particular electronic component 20 from unwanted irradiation.

[0028] It is also pointed out here that it may suffice to merely cover the component in question using encapsulating compound, for example when contacting using bonding wires is not provided for and, accordingly, there would also be no bonding wires to protect.

[0029] Another function of dam 30, specifically when using optoelectronic components, is that, virtually ideal plane boundary surfaces are able to be ensured, quite simply, between encapsulating compound 40 and the neighboring air. The result is that there is no undesired deflection of incident or, as the case may be, emergent beams of rays at this boundary surface 41.

[0030] Ultimately, dam 30 enables a defined, i.e., reproducible height h of the component assembly to be reliably set over carrier substrate 10 in the course of manufacturing. This is especially significant when an assembly of this kind is used, for example, under narrowed, spatial conditions. If, for instance, a component assembly of this kind is used on the scanning plate of an optical position transducer disposed oppositely to a rotating partial disk, a relatively small distance is provided between the scanning plate and the partial disk in compact systems. On no account, then, may any accessories mounted on the side of the scanning plate exceed a specific, predefined height.

[0031] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the present invention, dam 30 is composed of two dam layers 31, 32, which are placed one over the other and are made of the same dam material. There is a bonding between the two adjoining dam layers 31, 32, in their contact region. Of course, alternatively to a design including two dam layer 31, 32, a dam design may also be provided which includes more than two such dam layers 31, 32, each of the same dam material, if an even greater height h of dam 30 were necessary.

[0032] A highly viscous encapsulating compound, such as filled epoxy resin or a silicon, is a suitable dam material, for example. Within the scope of the present invention, a dam material for the various layers 31, 32 of dam 30 is selected, which allows a cross-linking of the same and, thus, a stable bonding in the contact region of adjoining dam layers 31, 32.

[0033] In the case of other dam materials, a mechanical engagement of the rough surfaces of the dam layers may be present in this contact region, for example; i.e., depending on the material selection, other connection mechanisms may be optionally present in the contact region between the dam layers.

[0034] By constructing dam 30 out of two or more dam layers 31, 32 from the same dam material, in accordance with the present invention, a defined adjustment of the desired ratio V of dam height h and dam width b (V=h/b) is able to be made. By applying measures to be elucidated in the following, width b of dam 30 is set in defined fashion, without any undesired flowing of the dam material and, thus, unwanted enlargement of the required carrier substrate surface taking place. By subsequently applying one or more further dam layers 32 to first dam layer 31, the requisite dam height h is then able to be set in definable, i.e., reproducible fashion. Preferably, the ratio V=h/b lies in the range of 0.5<V<1. However, on the basis of an appropriate process control, other ratios V may also be fundamentally adjusted.

[0035] Typical values for resulting dam height h and dam width b are h=0.8 mm and b=1.0 mm.

[0036] Finally, FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of dam 30 of FIG. 1, which is made up of the two dam layers 31, 32. Besides the geometric dimensions, dam height h and dam width b, FIG. 3 also shows contact region 33 adjoining dam layers 31, 32, where there is a cross-linking of the two dam layers 31, 32 and, thus, a stable bonding of the same.

[0037] Finally, on the basis of FIGS. 4a-4 d, one possible specific embodiment of the method according to the present invention is elucidated, for manufacturing a component assembly as described in FIGS. 1-3.

[0038] In a first process step shown in FIG. 4a, unhoused component 20 is placed on carrier substrate 10 or the circuit board and, if indicated, bonded thereto. Component 20 is then electrically contacted, which, in a generally known manner, may take place via wire bonding and the placement of corresponding bonding wires 21 a, 21 b.

[0039] First dam layer 31 is subsequently applied to carrier substrate 10, which, as explained above, completely surrounds component 20.

[0040] The corresponding process step is illustrated in FIG. 4b. The appropriate dam material is applied by a schematically indicated injection needle 50 using so-called dispensing technology. During application of first dam layer 31, carrier substrate 10 is heated to temperature T, which is likewise illustrated by schematically indicated heating device 60. The heating of the circuit board or, if indicated, of an alternative carrier substrate 10 effects a precuring of the dam material of first dam layer 31, immediately upon making contact on carrier substrate 10. This makes it possible to prevent first dam layer 31 from flowing in unwanted fashion, and from consuming surface area. It is, therefore, possible to adjust desired dam width b in a defined manner. The desired width or height of first dam layer 31 is able to be set in a defined manner by adjusting the traversing rate of injection needle 50, the applied quantity of the dam material, as well as temperature T of carrier substrate 10.

[0041] Still during the curing of first dam layer 31, second dam layer 32 is subsequently applied, as shown in FIG. 4c, with the aid of injection needle 50. As explained above, for second dam layer 32, the same dam material as for first dam layer 31 is used. Since a complete curing has still not taken place in the top part of first dam layer 31, following application of second dam layer 32 in the contact region, a cross-linking of the two dam layers 31, 32 occurs, i.e., an especially intimate and, thus, stable bond is formed between adjoining dam layers 31, 32.

[0042] Subsequently, i.e., after curing of the two dam layers 31, 32, as shown in FIG. 4d, encapsulating compound 40 is introduced into the well-shaped inner region of dam 30, which is likewise accomplished using an injection needle 70. For this, it is customary in the corresponding device to use a different injection needle 60 than the one used in the preceding process steps. In this connection, the amount of encapsulating compound 40 introduced is enough to fill the inner region of the dam nearly to the upper edge of dam 30, i.e., to the upper edge of top-most dam layer 32. Upon curing of encapsulating compound 40, the result is the component assembly which is protected from mechanical influences.

[0043] Alternatively, it may also be provided to begin introducing encapsulating compound 40, immediately following the application of last dam layer 32.

[0044] Within the framework of the present invention, there are, of course, also alternative variants in addition to the elucidated specific embodiments. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A component assembly on a carrier substrate, comprised of at least one component which is placed on the carrier substrate; and an enclosed dam situated on the carrier substrate, surrounding the component, and composed of two superposed dam layers, wherein the at least two dam layers (31, 32) of the dam (30) are made of the identical dam material and are bonded to one another in the contact region (33).
 2. The component assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein, altogether, the dam (30) has a ratio of V=b/h of dam height h and dam width b, which lies in the range of 0.5<V<1.
 3. The component assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein a dam material is selected, which produces a cross-linking of these dam layers (31, 32) in the contact region of adjoining dam layers (31, 32).
 4. The component assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein a highly viscous encapsulating compound is selected as a dam material.
 5. The component assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein filled epoxy resin is selected as a dam material.
 6. The component assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the dam (30) is composed of more than two dam layers (31, 32), each of identical material.
 7. The component assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the component (20) is designed as an optoelectronic component.
 8. The component assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein, in the inner region of the dam (30), an encapsulating compound (40) covers the component (20).
 9. The component assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein the encapsulating compound (40) is transparent and low-viscosity.
 10. The component assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the carrier substrate (10) is designed as a circuit board.
 11. The component assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein the component (20) is electroconductively connected to conductor tracks in the circuit board.
 12. A method for manufacturing a component assembly on a carrier substrate, following placement of a component on the carrier substrate, an enclosed dam of two superposed dam layers being applied to the carrier substrate and surrounding the component, wherein to apply the dam (3), initially the first dam layer (31) of a dam material is applied; subsequently the second dam layer (32) of the identical dam material is applied over the first dam layer (31), and, in the contact region (33) of the two dam layers (31, 32), a bonding of the same results.
 13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein during application of the first dam layer (31), the carrier substrate (10) is heated.
 14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the second dam layer (32) is applied as soon as the first dam layer (31) begins to cure in the area of the carrier substrate (10), but is not yet fully cured in the contact region (33) of the two dam layers (31, 32).
 15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the dam layers (31, 32) are applied using an injection needle (50).
 16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein to set the height and width of the dam layers (31, 32), the traversing rate of the injection needle (50), the applied quantity of the dam material, as well as the temperature (T) of the carrier substrate (10) are adjusted to one another.
 17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a dam material is selected, which, in the contact region (33) of adjoining dam layers (31, 32), leads to a cross-linking of these dam layers (31, 32).
 18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein prior to application of the dam layers (31, 32), the component (20) is electroconductively connected to conductor tracks in the carrier substrate (10).
 19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the component (20) is electroconductively connected by bonding wires to conductor tracks in the carrier substrate (10).
 20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein subsequently to the curing of the applied dam layers (31, 32) in the inner region of the dam (30), an encapsulating compound (40) is introduced which covers the component (20).
 21. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein subsequently to the application of the last dam layer (32) in the inner region of the dam (30), an encapsulating compound (40) is introduced which covers the component (20). 